The First Wave of Seekers – Page 3

Shortly after Mullá Husayn and his party had left Karbalá’, Mullá ’Alí assembled twelve more of Siyyid Kázim’s disciples anxious to begin the search for the Promised One, based on Siyyid Kázim’s instructions. All thirteen of them left Karbalá’ and set out for Kúfa to join Mullá Husayn and his companions.

Táhirih

Mullá Salih-i-Baraqání

was a renowned mujtahid from Qazvín

(city in northwestern Persia). Among his children was an exceptional daughter, born in 1817 and named Fátimih

and surnamed Umm-i-Salmih

and Zarrín-Táj

(Crown of gold). She would later be given the titles by which she is better known: Qurratu’l-’Ayn

(Solace of the eyes) and Táhirih

(the Pure).

In time, Táhirih would become famous for her beauty, her sublime poetry, her profound understanding of Islam, deep spiritual insight, and most importantly as one of the first to recognize the Promised One and to grasp the implications of the realities of a new age. As such, she became a herald for the emancipation of women.

Táhirih, along with her younger sister Marzíyeh

, and her brothers, were brought up in an affluent but strictly religious environment. From early childhood she demonstrated remarkable intelligence and spiritual capacity. Instead of playing games she preferred to listen to her parents discuss religious matters. Her father was open minded unlike many men of that era. He cherished his remarkable daughter and allowed her to study Islamic theology, jurisprudence and literary sciences. Such an education, in a time and in a land where women were considered to be devoid of a soul and men’s property, was unheard of.

As she grew older, Táhirih, concealed behind a curtain, would attend the religious classes of her father and uncle, along with two or three hundred male students.

⁹⁴ Dawn-Breakers Chapter 24, p 628 gives Táhirih’s date of birth as 1233 AH [1817-1818 CE]; although Amanat Resurrection and Renewal Chapter 7, p295 gives her date of birth as 1231 AH [1814 CE].

⁹⁵ Title given to her by Siyyid Kázim by which she is commonly known in literary circles even today.

⁹⁶ Title given to her by Bahá’u’lláh at the Conference of Badasht and later confirmed by the Báb [Act 6, Chapter 5].

39 / 803